Railroad-crossing



B. T. GIBBS, .ln. RAILROAD capssme. APPLICATION HLED' MAY 26I I921.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

B. T. GIBBS, 1R. RAILROAD CROSSING.

1,395,339. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

$720022??? fieneci'z'cf K6 25259 1]?- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENEDICT '1. GIBBS, JR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MORDEN FRO & CROSSING WORKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS RAILROAD-CROSSING.

' Application filed May 26,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENEDICT T. GIBBS, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

In modern railway construction when two tracks cross each other at an angle, a heavy shop made crossing is installed at the point of intersection, so that trains can pass on either track over such crossing with comparative smoothness. When at least one of the intersecting lines is double track it is necessary to place two such crossings in the double tracks, and in order to make. the intersecting line complete connect said two crossings. Commercial crossings of the solid or articulated cast construction are of such a structural character and weight that it has heretofore been found impractical to economically connect two such crossings with one piece rails without cutting each rail intermediate of its length; fitting each part of each rail into its adjacent crossing, then splicing the two pieces of rail. This practice is obviously expensive as well as wholly lacking the strength and simplicity of a single piece rail connecting the two adjacent crossings. The object of this invention is to provide crossings of this character to be connected of such a construction that one piece connecting rails may be readily inserted in place, and removed therefrom without disturbing the position of the crossings, and when in place readily secured there in such manner as to provide, in accordance with modern railway standard practice, a safe passage for car wheels. .The invention consists in means for at; 'taining the foregoing objects which can be easily and cheaply made, which is satisfactorily in use and is not readily liable to get out of order. More particularly the invention consists in many features and details of construction which will be hereafter more fully set forth in the specification and claims;

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals designate the same parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of one complete crossing, and aportion of an adjacent crossing set in a double traclrand connected together by short intersecting track rails, the

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

1921. Serial No. 472,647.

connection of the rails to the crossings being made by the mechanism of this inven tion in its preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail end view at approximately'the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing in full lines the crossing parts, the interfitting rail and wedge block, all in nor mal assembled position with the crossing ready for actual train travel over it along the connecting rail, also a dotted rail sec tion showing one position assumed by the rail in the operation of its removal from or insertion to, its normal full line position.

Fig. 3 is the same view as Fig. 2, the wedge block being wholly removed and the connecting rail being shown in two changed positions, one in fullline, the other dotted line, assumed by the rail in being put into or removed from place.

Figs. 4c and 5 are plan views of the cross ing end illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the rail being entirely removed therefrom and the securing devices being placed at one side for illustrative purposes, Fig. 43 showing the wedge and bolts and Fig. 5 the crossing end.

The'mechanism of this invention is illustrated in Fig. 1, as applied to connecting one standard crossing 10 in the railroad track 12 with an identical standard crossing 141 in a parallel track 16 by means of two parallel single, piece rails 18 and 20, form ing between these crossings the essential portion of the intersecting line track 22 over which trains pass across the parallel tracks 12 and 16. These rails are identical in construction, but have corresponding but reversely positioned connections to the adjacent crossingsj The particular structure described and claimed is designed for application to the crossing ends 24 withwhich the rails 18 and 20 are directly connected as shown and need not be used at the other similar crossing ends 26-e28 30 unless they are to be connected through other rails similar to rails 18 and 20 to other crossings not shown in the drawings, but they may be used if desired for the application of ordinary stock rails, as 12 or 16 to the crossing without departing from this invention.

In connecting any rail into a crossing, it is, because of thewell understood character of the pounding at such a crossing necessary that the inner connecting rail 18 shown in normal full line position of Figs. 1 and 2, be

supported under its head 32 by a projecting upper flange or shelf 34 carried by the rail supporting member 36 extending from the crossing proper along the side of the rail.

It is also necessary that this member 36 be further provided with a horizontally extending flange 38 fitting over and interloclring with adjacent lower flange 40'of the rall.

In order to be effective these flanges 34 and 38 must be solid and heavy and it has heretofore beenthe practice to unite them into one solid'piece of practically rectangular construction having a vertical side, parallel to vertical edge 42 shown, practically contacting a web of the rail, and in accordance with standard construction it is necessary that the crossing be provided with a flaring guard rail 44 between which and the rail 18 is placed a wedge block 46 held in place by suitable means such as bolts 48 :and nuts 50'. The top of this block 46 has a slightly depressed surface 50 interfitting with and leading into a standard U-shaped passage 52 in which the wheel flange travels over the crossing member proper.

lnorder to provide for ready insertion of a rail as 18 in the desired position the rail supporting member 36 of the crossing 1s not made adjacent to the rail in a solidrectangular piece as described, but is provided on its inner face with a longitudinally extending U-shaped'notch 54 and the guard rail 44 is started angularly away from the crossing 24 at such an. angular point 56 35 that when the block 46 is removed as shown a in Fig. 4 and the rail 18 is placed inposition over the two properly prepared crossing ends of the characterdescribed, the op erator can, by first placing the rail in dotted line position 18* of Fig. 3, move it into both oppositely disposed crossing ends of the crossin s to the next or full line position 18 of ig. 3, in which the lower left hand flange edge on the rail enters recess 54 sufliciently sothat the opposite or right hand flanged edge passes the corner 58 of thehead of the guard rail 44., From this position the operator moves the rail to the dotted line position 18 of Fig.2 in which the lower left hand flanged edge clears flange 38 of member 36 the right hand flanged edge passing as shown downin recess 60 formed in the side of the guard rail and from this last position the rail is slipped into full line permanent position 18 of Fig. 2. The blocks 46 at opposite ends of the rail are now inserted and the bolts 48 and the nuts 50 put in place, thus completing the connection.

In the particular construction shown it is important that the right hand edge 62 0f flange 38 of member 36 be restricted in length as shown so as not to actually contact the web of rail 18 when the parts are in final position.

65 In installing a device constructed in accordance with this invention, the two crossings 10 and 14 are installed in permanent fixed position at a distance apart wherein the rail abutting transverse lines or surfaces 80 and the crossing ends 24 of crossings 10-14 are a distance apart only a very small fraction of an inch greater than the lengths of the rails 18 which are to be inserted in place to connect those crossings. I With thecrossings in this position and with the fastening devices 46.4850, laid at one side the operator takes rail 18, holds it in proper position above the crossing ends 24 and above the recesses into which it is'to be threaded. He then tilts it through the positions 18, 18 18 to position 18, Fig. 2, after which he has only to insert the securing devices referred to and the connection is made. If it is necessary to replace rail 18, the operator first removes the nuts, bolts, and blocks 46 whereupon he can take hold of the rail and move it successively from position 18 to positions 18, 18, 18 to freedom.

The results obtained from this invention are something which railroad engineers have sought for for years without success. The mechanism made in accordance with this invention is successfully used in practical work. V

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In mechanism of the class described, a crossing end having angularly extending therefrom, a horizontally separated rail sup- 100 porting member and guardrail, forming an open top, U-shaped-recess between them against the bottom end of which a rail, latorally supported by the railsupporting member, will abut and flt horizontal flanges ex- 105 tending along the side of the rail supporting member, projecting into the U-shaped recess, and adapted to engage near its top and bottom the side of a rail end in said recess, there being between said flanges a horizontal 110 recess cut into the wall of the rail supporting-member along, the length engaged by the rail en a rail of horizontal flange width too wide to be passed vertically downward parallel to itself from a position above V the crossing end to a position therein, but nevertheless adapted to finally. fit in vthe U-shaped opening in engagement with said flanges on the rail supporting member, the whole so arranged and proportioned that by tilting and rocking said rail through several angular positions, it may while its end is in the vertical plane of'the U-shaped therefrom a horizontally separated rail supporting member and guard rail, forming an open top U-shaped recess between them against the bottom end of which a rail, laterally supported by the rail supporting member, will abut and fit horizontal flanges extending along the side of the rail supporting member, projecting into the U- shaped recess, and adapted to engage near its top and bottom the side of a rail end in said recess, there being between said flanges a horizontal recess cut into the wall of the rail supporting member along the length engaged by the rail end, a rail of horizontal flange width too wide to be passed vertically downward parallel to itself from a position above the crossing end to a position therein, but nevertheless adapted to finally fit in the U-shaped opening in engagement with said flanges on the rail supporting member, the

whole so arranged and proportioned that by tilting and rocking said rail through several angular positions it may, while its end is in the vertical plane of the U-shaped recess end against which it is to abut, be moved down into the U-shaped recess and placed against the side of the rail supporting member where it is engaged by the flanges thereon, a wedge block filling the space between the rail and guard rail forming a car wheel track, and means for securing all together, for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

BENEDICT T. GIBBS, JR. Witnesses:

D. B. CHEEVER, VELMA GRIFFITH. 

